Centre to treat Leishmania inaugurated in Peshawar

K-P govt, MSF collaborate for the treatment centre

PESHAWAR: The first state-of-art centre to treat Leishmania patients was inaugurated in Peshawar on Thursday by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government in collaboration with the Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Speaking at the event, MSF representative Thomas Balivet stressed that the organisation was aware of the extent of the disease and planned to expand treatment services to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) as well.

“We are facilitating people by providing them with every possible assistance,” added Director-General Health Ayub Roz.

In April, Fata health services department had launched an anti-leishmania drive in Khyber and Bajaur agencies to stop the epidemic from spreading.  A total of 309 Leishmania patients have been treated in Mohmand Agency.

Leishmania

Leishmania parasites are transmitted through the bites of infected female phlebotomine sandflies, according to World Health Organisation.

The epidemiology of leishmaniasis depends on the characteristics of the parasite species, the local ecological characteristics of the transmission sites, current and past exposure of the human population to the parasite, and human behaviour. Only a small fraction of those infected by Leishmania parasites will eventually develop the disease.

The WHO lists three main forms of leishmaniases – visceral (also known as kala-azar and the most serious form of the disease), cutaneous (the most common), and mucocutaneous.